From the lows of 2010, Dinesh Karthik has managed to make a comeback. The journey began with the last season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), providing him a place in the India ODI side.
As he prepares for the Champions League T20, a bigger challenge awaits the keeper-batsman as he
looks to break into the Test squad. HT caught up with the Mumbai Indians player on Tuesday.

Twenty20 can be a testing format for a wicketkeeper, how big is the adjustment?There are times when the ball does not come to you for a while, but then it is also a format where every ball is crucial in the context of the game. The role of a keeper in such a scenario becomes important. It is especially difficult when you have to stand up to medium-pacers for a longer period with batsman trying tricky shots.

You’ve just come back from South Africa with the India ‘A’ squad, how was it to play on those pitches and adjusting to the conditions?The bounce is a factor that one has to get used to, it was important to make those adjustments fast. It’s about not making errors in such conditions.

How has it been working under Duncan Fletcher?He is very good technically. The emphasis is always about aspects on and off the field. He has made players push harder and expects a lot more from them. He has raised the bar and players have had to make changes to reach those standards.

Dhoni has said you can bat anywhere in the order, which position suits you the most?I am comfortable in the middle order but it is about taking the position that you are given and performing to your optimum.

You made a dramatic comeback after being dropped in 2010. What have you worked on that has helped make the transformation?The key is to improve technically as a batsman. It is about scoring the big runs when the opportunity comes and that is all one can work on. Also, in the keeping aspect I have worked a lot with Sameer (Dighe).

How do you look at the possibility of making it to the Test squad?I don’t want to think about what I cannot control. I want to focus on enjoying the game and doing the right things.